Aboriginal relations

Communities - Aboriginal relations

To develop resources anywhere in the world today, we must foster strong relationships, share project benefits and build capacity in Aboriginal communities. At SNC-Lavalin, we’ve developed a solid reputation and track record in helping clients engage and partner with Aboriginal communities in a fair and inclusive way. This has served to strengthen the Canadian Aboriginal business community and the economies of communities where we do projects.

In the 1990s, we became the first Canadian engineering and construction company to partner with a First Nations group to deliver the Diavik Diamond Mine Project in the Northwest Territories. Over time, we saw how these relationships add significant value for both clients and Aboriginal groups. Our growing experience has led to best practices in Aboriginal employment and procurement.

Maximizing Aboriginal inclusion

In 2014, we helped our clients maximize Aboriginal inclusion on several projects, including the:

John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Evergreen Line rapid transit system in Vancouver, British Columbia

Husky Oil projects in Alberta

Eléonore Gold Project in Quebec

Keewatinohk Switchyard Project in Manitoba

We facilitated the training and employment of hundreds of Aboriginal people on these projects. We also coordinated the procurement of millions of dollars in goods and services from local and regional Aboriginal businesses.

Key sponsorships

In 2014, our contributions to the Aboriginal community reached far and wide. They serve to advance and facilitate success in the Aboriginal business community. We sponsored regional, provincial and national Chief meetings as well as trade shows, conferences, cultural festivals and youth camps. Ongoing sponsorships included the Human Resources Council’s Indigenous Works youth career fair and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business national awards.

This support continued in early 2015 with our sponsorship of the New Relationship Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening First Nations in British Columbia through capacity building. We also supported IBM Canada’s successful IGNITE science and technology camp for Aboriginal youth, ages 8 to 14, in Alberta . In partnership with the charitable organization Mining Matters, our engineers shared their mining and metallurgy know-how with youth and other stakeholders in three First Nations communities in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec.

Looking ahead

We’ll continue to develop and market our Local Resource Development Initiative™ as we look to develop a culture of Aboriginal inclusion on all of our projects, small and large. Supporting national and regional Aboriginal organizations that actively promote Aboriginal business success will also remain a priority. So will seeking out opportunities to partner with Aboriginal companies and develop projects of mutual interest.

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About SNC

Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a global fully integrated professional services and project management company and a major player in the ownership of infrastructure. From offices around the world, SNC-Lavalin's employees are proud to build what matters. Our teams provide comprehensive end-to-end project solutions – including capital investment, consulting, design, engineering, construction management, sustaining capital and operations and maintenance – to clients across oil and gas, mining and metallurgy, infrastructure, clean power, nuclear and EDPM (engineering design and project management). On July 3, 2017, SNC-Lavalin acquired Atkins, one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, which has been integrated into our sectors.